Union Ayush minister moved out of Covid care ward

PANAJI: After 20 days of treatment, Union Ayush minister Shripad Naik was shifted out of Covid ward on Friday. He, however, will remain hospitalized for two to three weeks more for respiratory rehabilitation.

Dr Shekhar Salkar, chief of clinical services at Manipal Hospitals, where Naik is being treated, said the junior defence minister was moved of the covid care facility on advice of Dr Randeep Guleria, director of All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi.

“He has been shifted out on advice of Dr Guleria. According to them, the virus is active for seven days. After 14 days, it is unlikely to be transmitted,” said Salkar.

On Monday, Naik had tested negative under the TrueNat test but in subsequent RT PCR test, Salkar said, he tested positive.

Naik was admitted to hospital on August 12, a day after he contracted the virus. He initially chose to be under home isolation as he was asymptomatic.

The AIIMS have been monitoring the union minister’s treatment and its teams twice visited Goa. Their last visit was on August 24 after his oxygen saturation level dropped. But since then, he has shown marked improvement.